By Joseph Timan

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Andy Burnham has addressed ‘accusations’ that he is mounting a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer in his first speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The Greater Manchester mayor, who was speaking at a rally calling for changes to the voting system on Sunday (September 28), insisted he supports Sir Keir’s government. It follows weeks of speculation that the Labour mayor is plotting a return to Parliament with plans to replace Sir Keir as Prime Minister. Feature interviews in several publications in recent weeks, in which Mr Burnham set out several policies he wants to see Labour adopt, have only added to the rumours ahead of the annual conference. During those interviews, it was also revealed that Mr Burnham would only be appearing at a handful of events during the four-day gathering in Liverpool, the first of which was a #Labour4PR rally calling for electoral reform. The Greater Manchester mayor, who was dressed in his typically casual attire, was followed by more than a dozen photographers and national broadcasters as he entered the auditorium around 20 minutes after the event started. Sign up to the MEN Politics newsletter Due North here Photographers were lined up in front of the Labour mayor when he took his seat as cameras flashed furiously. Mr Burnham then delivered a 15-minute speech with no notes in which he started by setting out why he supports a change in the UK’s voting system to proportional representation as well as outlining other changes he wants to see. He insisted that he is ‘here to support the government’ to be successful, but said that he wants to ‘start a debate’. The mayor said: “I’m putting these ideas forward for a debate. And that’s what I’ve launched. I’ve launched a debate on our direction because I think we need it at this moment because I want this government to be a success.” Responding directly to former Labour minister Alan Johnson, who called for Mr Burnham to rule out a leadership challenge , he refused to make ‘simplistic statements of loyalty’ if that ‘closes down the debate that we need’. He added: “I’ve been accused of all things in the last week as you can probably see. I’ve done nothing more than launch a debate. “What I would say to those who say I’m speaking out purely for my own ambition, I can say to you all tonight, I am speaking out for the thousands of councillors here at this conference who are worried about going to those doorsteps next May. “[I’m] speaking for the members of the Senedd who again are working hard to keep Wales Labour , that’s what we want to do next year. “And of course members of the Scottish Parliament as well who want a stronger story about Labour to go to those doorsteps. “And I’m speaking for the millions of good people around Britain who want a more hopeful direction for the country. I think we can do it. “I honestly think it can be done. We can make this government work. We can find that more hopeful direction and we can win again at the next general election.”